mander

Very good advice. For novices though I would advise getting to the gate for FCO and not shopping even if more than an hour. No matter how many times I transit FRA, every so-often I screw up and get disoriented (could have used more sleep!) and make a wrong turn.

kevinsac

This is such a true statement. I have some friends who transited FRA (UA to LH) several years ago. They ended up going thru passport control several times within 5 minutes .... and the last time, the immigrations officer said "Uhhhh....weren't jsut here a few minutes ago?"

For my co-worker, she arrives on UA 944 at 5:45 am on a Saturday morning. She departs on LH 3840 at 7:30 am.

Hasn't UA moved over to Terminal 1? Do they not arrive at the upper gates (A50-A60s)? Does she not just simply need to find the gate info for the connecting flight to Rome, clear immigration, and then go downstairs to the lower A gates (A1-A40s)?

Unless .... they park at a remote terminal, in which case it is more challenging to figure it out!

notquiteaff

UA has been in Terminal 1 for as long as I have been flying UA to/from FRA. Do you mean "move from C to A" within terminal 1?

I don't think you can safely predict where the aircraft will arrive. Not in FRA. I'd definitely be prepared for remote stand.

kevinsac

See, that's how blase I have become about traveling thru FRA. Yes, United always has used T1. I meant to say "moved from C to A."

tods27

The best bet is to check the LH website for Arrivals/Departures the day of or the day before their flight. This is pretty accurate info and will let you know what to tell them. I do know that my last UA flight arrived in the A gates, but that doesn't mean that is always where UA arrives.

I find that the most common problem is that people don't follow signs and tend to go all the way out to the main terminal/baggage claim areas. This is especially true when arriving in the C gates.

NewbieRunner

OK time for confession. There are a few things I've been meaning to update in the first post of the FRA connection thread but nothing which might affect the OP's co-worker and her Mom.

One of the many problems of FRA is you cannot tell which part of the terminal any longhaul flight may arrive from one day to the next. UA used to use lower C gates close to the RCC but they have now moved to the upper (non-Schengen) level of Concourse A. Flights to FCO almost always depart from the lower (Schengen) level of Concourse A.

If they arrive at an A gate (A51-65), they should just follow the signs for their departure gate which is likely to be A1-42. In reality depending on which gate they arrive there may be signs pointing in both directions as there is passport control at either end of the concourse. Make sure to join the line for "All passports".

If their flight arrives at a remote apron position they will be brought to International Arrivals B by bus. There is a large departure board as they enter the building. Following the signs to their departure gate will take them up the escalator to passport control. Then follow the signs through security check to the departure gate. This should take them through a tunnel connecting concourses A and B, but don't worry if they don't see a tunnel because there are other ways.

As already pointed out they'll need to go through passport control in FRA since flights between Germany and Italy (and all flights between Schengen countries) are treated like domestic flights. No more passport control when they arrive in FCO. Assuming their baggage is checked through to FCO there's no need to collect it in FRA.

Apparently LH flights from the US can end up in B or C concourse depending on where the a/c is heading next but UA flights are more likely to arrive either at an A gate or an apron position.

dfreeman02

Just wondering whether it's a terrible idea or merely a bad idea to try to arrive on LH at 16.40 (from NCE) and depart on UA at 17.25 (to SFO -- last UA flight of the day from anywhere in Europe). Are there any circumstances under which you'd do it?

mander

If I had a choice? No.

seacarl

It's possible to make it, and I've connected at FRA in less than 45 minutes, but be open to spending the night at the Frankfurt Airport Sheraton. Everything has to go right to make a USA flight in 45 minutes. You'll need to clear passport control (usually quick) and USA security (should also be quick that late in the day - it's probably the last USA flight of the day.) Hope you will get your SFO boarding pass in NCE. You'll need the boarding pass before security, I think, and if you don't have it, getting it in FRA at a transfer desk will delay you.

steviebas

What a painful experience!!

Arrived overnight from IAD and we were parked in the back 40 beside some LH cargo MD11s. We had to crowd on to buses and then drive a good 5 mins back to the terminal.

Once at the terminal we had a rabbit warren to negotiate to get into the main concourse and find our connection. Lots of walking and eventually I found the gate which led downstairs to.................a bus.............back to the same back 40 we had just come from!!!!

Is there any plan to get everyone under one roof at FRA?
I did see a UA 747 parked at the terminal so maybe its just the IAD flight?

carbonchaser

Don't suppose you noticed the massive amount of construction going on off the A pier right now, as you bussed back and forth?

sam123

Was at FRA just yesterday. Arrived there on LH widebody international flight, stuck to deplaning in the rain at remote stand, on uncovered airstairs, to a bus, etc. So yeah, that's SOP in FRA, they don't have enough gates for the traffic. This is not likely to change for a good while.

The FRA new A-pier (A-plus) is currently under construction; ready maybe towards end of 2012, should help a bit. No real drastic improvements until when (if?) the new Terminal 3 in south side of airport is completed.

exerda

It wasn't awful the other day when I connected there; our flight from VRN arrived at the apron and we had to bus over to the B gates, and then it was a game of "follow the signs" to A, stop by a lounge and inquire as to which gate the IAD flight was going to depart from (monitors only said "A," and that was only if there were enough screens to show the noonish departures--the 2-screen monitors never scrolled past around 9:30am), then go through passport control (no extra security at all--I was surprised) and sit in the C/F LH lounge upstairs at the A gates and wait.

NewbieRunner

Sounds like a typical FRA connection experience! If the actual departure gate was not on the display screen, it means you had plenty of time.

There is no extra security in FRA if arriving from a Schengen country (e.g. Italy) because security checks in Schengen countries are deemed to be "good enough".

rockrich

Now you've got me worried. We have a one hour 5 min connection at FRA arriving LH from CDG, leaving on UA 900 to SFO. Will LH give us UA boarding passes at CDG? Should I try to move our departure from CDG to one hour sooner (there is another flight). On a Z fare, may cost to change.